Farmers take 'tractorcade' to Dublin in income protest

The tractor protest outside Government Buildings has broken up and was described as a "huge success" by Irish Farmers' Association president (IFA) Mr John Dillon.

About 300 tractors and 1,000 people gathered in Dublin's Merrion Square this afternoon in the culmination of the farmers' week-long "tractorcade" protest over low incomes.

Part of the 'tractorcade' in Merrion Square, Dublin today

"We will never allow the Government to turn their backs on the family farm," Mr Dillon said in a rousing speech that was frequently punctuated with calls from the crowd for the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, to resign.

This week's protest was to "hammer home" the income crisis in farming, Mr Dillon said, claiming they had won the battle with the Government to win the public's support.

"We have exposed the misinformation campaign by Joe Walsh and his advisers," he said, accusing the Government of a "massive breach of faith" in its negotiations with the farming lobby. Agriculture is the "backbone of Irish life", he said, adding the livelihoods of "thousands" of people in Dublin are at stake if the industry collapses.

"Last year, rock bottom prices and appalling weather brought farming to its knees," he said. "The last straw for farmers was when the Government put the boot in, in the 2003 estimates and the Budget hitting farming to the tune of €200 million."

Mr Dillon rejected the minister's offer of talks. "If talks could solve the problem, the problem would have been solved long ago".

The deputy president of the IFA, Mr Ruairí Deasy, said they had "been left with no option" but to bring their grievances to the streets of Dublin. "This IFA protest is about strength, unity and delivery for farmers," he said.

Former IFA president and Minister for State at the Department of Finance, Mr Tom Parlon, attended today's rally. He told ireland.comhe believed Mr Dillon's strategy was "very successful in highlighting the very real income situation that exists".

"This is a very high-risk business, coming into Dublin city centre and not alienating the city population," Mr Parlon said.

He said he believed there was scope in all of the IFA's ten demands to Government. However, he defended Mr Walsh, saying he was "the most experienced Minister for Agriculture in Europe and maybe even in the world".

Former Minister of State for Agriculture and Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North East Mr Ned O'Keeffe; the Fine Gael agriculture spokesman, Mr Billy Timmins; Socialist Dublin West TD Mr Joe Higgins; and Independent TD Mr Finian McGrath were also at today's protest .

In a statement last night, the Government restated its commitment to agriculture, saying its approach to the industry "has always been founded on the unique importance of the sector in terms of sustaining rural Ireland".

Garda escorts are now accompanying the vehicles back to the six convergence points outside the capital, from where the protest began this morning. They are also being monitored by the Garda air support unit. Motorists have been warned to expect serious congestion during the afternoon as the tractors leave the city.

Although thousands of farmers have taken part in the action since Monday, many headed home last night following a request from the Garda to limit the numbers travelling into the city.